by John Eugene Reese

Many pro-abortionists have claimed that a human fetus is just a piece of tissue. They say the fetus is not a human being until it is born, completely free from the mother’s womb. This thinking helps to insulate those involved in abortions from feelings of guilt. As long as a fetus is not considered a human, it doesn’t matter if it is disposed of or used as tissue for scientific research --- or so goes their reasoning.

However, as technology advances, growing scientific evidence demonstrates that the human fetus possesses certain human behavioral characteristics, and is not a non-feeling, expendable “piece of tissue” in the womb. This article cites just one example of this growing evidence --- and how these findings are in harmony with scriptures in the Bible.

A group of scientists in Italy has recently made detailed observations of human twins in the womb. Their discovery is summarized in Kathleen McAulife’s article “Social Life Begins in the Womb” in the January-February 2011 issue of Discover Magazine (at http://discovermagazine.com/2011/jan-feb/75). Researcher Umberto Castiello and his team of scientists “used state-of-the-art ultrasound to monitor the movements of five pairs of fetal twins, between 14 and 18 weeks of gestation. The results have shown that even the youngest fetuses in the study recognized and responded to the other twin. When reaching toward the co-twin, especially around the eyes and mouth — their motion was relatively slow and delicate. When the fetuses touched themselves, on the other hand, they were less cautious (although they approached their own eyes and mouth more gingerly than other parts of their body). … In some very primitive form … it appears that the fetus by the second trimester already has a sense of ‘self’ that is different from ‘other’.” [Emphasis added by me.]

Significantly, the published results of their study do not address the legal and moral issues related to abortion. While no political viewpoint is explicitly expressed, the finding is part of a growing mountain of proof that human life begins at conception and the legal basis of Roe vs. Wade is collapsing. Murder is a crime under the U.S. constitution as all human life is protected by the same. These scientists simply stated their scientific observations. Their new scientific research provides further evidence that the human fetus is a feeling and caring human being.

This finding should not surprise anyone, especially those who believe and know the Bible. The Bible gives numerous scriptures that support these observations. Consider the following four scriptural examples.

Genesis:25:21-24[21]And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.[22]And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.[23]And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.[24]And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. records the birth of Isaac and Rebekah’s twin boys, Jacob and Esau. In this account, Jacob and Esau struggled with each other inside their mother’s womb. In verse 23, God explained the prophetic significance of their struggle, and how He was guiding their actions within her womb to symbolize the national destinies of their descendants.

Jeremiah:1:4-5[4]Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,[5]Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. describes Jeremiah the prophet, while still a fetus in his mother’s womb, as being sanctified and ordained by God.

Luke:1:44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. states that when Mary visited the home of her relative Elizabeth, the unborn John the Baptist jumped "for joy” in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting. This seems to support the findings of the scientists cited above --- that in addition to having a sense of “self,” a fetus has a sense of “other.” In this case, the “other” was the voice of a third party outside of the womb. Also note that while John was still a fetus, he experienced the human emotion of “joy”!

Galatians:1:15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, has the apostle Paul writing: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, …” Some interpret this to mean that Paul was figuratively referring to Judaism as his mother’s womb. Others, however, such as the scholar John Peter Lange, interpret this verse literally. In his Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Lange writes: “When he [Paul] was yet in his [actual] mother’s womb, he was already set apart as an Apostle.”

These and other biblical examples reveal that God sometimes works with individuals even before their births. It is obvious that God did NOT consider any of these previously mentioned fetuses to be mere pieces of expendable tissue void of a God-ordained destiny. Instead, God directly referred to these individuals as the living beings they already were.

The Bible makes no direct reference to “abortion.” The reason for this is understandable. In the societies that existed when the Bible was being written, not having a child was considered to be a curse for a woman. The more children she had, the more she and her husband were considered blessed. But times have changed --- at least in the western world. Now, children are often viewed as an inconvenience.

The modern tolerance of aborting “inconvenient” unborn children is a defining moral issue of our age, comparable to the tolerance of “child sacrifice” to gods in many ancient pagan societies, as well as to the tolerance of slavery. Many who tolerate abortion now cannot fathom how those other evils were tolerated in times past.

Also consider this. Imagine our world if there had never been abortions. How many of the millions of aborted fetuses might have become: “Renaissance men” like the genius Leonardo da Vinci (whose mother became pregnant out of wedlock, a situation in which many modern women choose to abort); technology visionaries like Steve Jobs (whose mother also became pregnant out of wedlock); athletes like Tim Tebow (whose mother was advised by doctors to abort him); or just decent and caring people?

To summarize this brief article, recent scientific research provides evidence that the fetus within a mother’s womb possesses the human qualities of feeling, emotion and caring. This observation is supported by biblical examples given in this article. Therefore, although there is no direct use of the word “abortion” in the Bible, it is clear from many biblically revealed spiritual principles that abortion is contrary to God’s will. The abortion phenomenon has emerged to become the modern-day infanticide of millions of human fetuses (who are numbered among “the poor innocents” mentioned in Jeremiah:2:34Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.). Abortion has been perpetrated by people ignorant or defiant of God’s will (and thus of His purpose for humanity). It is clear from the Holy Scriptures that God considers the fetus to be a human being --- and that killing him or her is a violation of the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder

Further information about this epic moral issue is available in the following free United Church of God videos and publications:

• The following three Beyond Today TV videos dealing with abortion have been posted on YouTube:

o “BT Daily: Roe v. Wade: Abortion’s 39th Anniversary” dated January 24, 2012 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rphO-A6myl4&feature=g-all-a&list=PLCA0771987C80C2CA&context=G210d0e1FAAAAAAAAAAA

o “BT Daily: Abortion and History” dated January 25, 2012 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoMheHm44o&feature=digest_wed

o “BT Daily: Hope Beyond Abortion” dated January 27, 2012 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONbXLkPWot0&list=PLCA0771987C80C2CA&index=1&feature=plpp_video

• The archived May-June 2000 Good News Magazine lead article “The Abortion Quagmire: Who Will Speak for the Children?” at http://www.ucg.org/christian-living/abortion-quagmire-who-will-speak-children/.

• An article entitled “Is God Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?” at http://www.ucg.org/christian-living/god-pro-life-or-pro-choice/.

• A Teen Bible Study Guide entitled “Abortion” designed to help teens learn what God thinks about this vitally important subject is available at http://www.ucg.org/teen-bible-study/teen-bible-study-volume-7-social-issues/abortion/.

• An overview of God’s great and loving Masterplan for the future development of the potential of all humans who have ever lived is explained in the free booklet entitled “What Is Your Destiny?” or at http://www.ucg.org/booklet/what-your-destiny/.